LSU Engineering Hosts Annual LCDC Event
February 4, 2020
BATON ROUGE, LA – If students are searching for something to do this Valentine’s Day,
look no further than the LSU College of Engineering’s second annual Louisiana Collegiate
Design Competition in Patrick F. Taylor Hall on February 14-15.
The competition is open to high school and college students of any major from any state. Teams of students will compete against one another in a design project, which is kept a secret until the day they arrive to the event. Registration is open until Friday, February 7 and can be done at https://lcdclsu.weebly.com/.
“On the first day of the event, the teams of students get the rules; then the second day, we give them eight hours to create and build their design,” said Leia Nguyen, LCDC chair and LSU environmental engineering junior.
“The mystery is part of the fun,” said Adrienne Steele, LSU College of Engineering assistant director of student programs and outreach. “Not knowing what it is isn’t important. It’s an engineering design challenge but any major can participate. We had a team last year that was made up mostly of art students.”
In 2019, 20 teams participated, with the only high school, St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans, taking fourth place. The students had to design projectiles and deliver balls of different sizes into different zones, which awarded them points.
“A lot of teams made ziplines, catapults and slingshots,” Nguyen said. “The first-place winner was a catapult. The designs were judged on budget, design and presentation.”
“The designs were very different from each other,” Steele said. “They’re trying not to have too many parameters, so the students can really think outside the box.”
The event, which is planned by 20 members of LSU’s Society of Peer Mentors, allows participants to practice some of the engineering principles they’re learning in school. Working in teams is also a good way to learn about teamwork and gain leadership experience. Lastly, it’s just pure fun.
“It’s fun for them to do something that involves creativity and problem solving and to use skills that are going to help them in life,” Steele said.
“I knew most of the people beforehand but I’m still getting to know new people I’ve just met,” Nguyen said. “It has really broadened my horizons and given me experience in talking to higher-ups and company representatives. It’s giving me real-life experience in planning.”
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Contact: Libby Haydel
Communications Specialist
225-578-4840